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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: spell · game · rest · bowl · stick · coach · lie · season

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. game — a match
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. spell — magic
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. game — wild animals
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — what's left
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — to recline
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. rest — a break
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. spell — a short time
  22. season — in sport
  23. spell — letters
  24. season — of the year

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com